If you’re running a website as a means of promoting your business or making money, then you clearly already have some understanding of how the internet can help you to reach a wide audience. You may be using SEO too to increase your awareness online, and perhaps you might also have looked at social media marketing too. But these are both the internet marketing techniques of webmasters – not of businesses. There are many other ways methods that companies use online to promote themselves, and all of these can be applied to websites too.
The great part, is that thanks to the free and open nature of the web, these are all things that even small companies and websites can benefit from too. Here we will look at some of the ways you can use the web to promote your website that might not previously have been aware of. And in some cases, you can even use the web in order to reach into the physical world with tools and materials that your audience will be able to interact with directly!
Promotional Gifts
Many companies that understand the importance of brand awareness, will attempt to increase their recognition by giving away free gifts. These might include lanyards, mouse mats, bags or caps, but they will all include the company’s branding as a means to get it seen by more people and into the homes of existing customers.
Thanks to the web, it’s much easier and more affordable for even small companies and websites to use this strategy. Just head over to one of the many online services, choose your blank item, and then choose where you want your logo to show. Now you can order as many as you need relatively cheaply and start handing them out at tradeshows and other events.
Press Coverage
Getting covered by the press is of course a fantastic success for any company selling a product or service, or any site that makes money from visitors. Even using the web, there is no way to guarantee that you will get press coverage, however website owners can still make use of a large range free press-release templates, and can find a lot of useful addresses to send them to online as well.
Or why not go the ‘RCS’ route? That stands for ‘Real Company Stuff’ and describes strategies such as running competitions, or revamping your website with the sole hope that it will lead to media coverage and word of mouth driving more visitors to your site.
Advertising
Most website owners have dabbled in PPC advertising such as AdWords to promote themselves, but what few do is to go the more traditional route of simply paying for advertising space on relevant and desirable websites. This can be a very cost effective way to get your site seen by thousands of relevant visitors, and is considerably less expensive than advertising on television or radio.
Flyering
Flyering has long been a favorite strategy for many businesses, particularly businesses that are tied closely to their local area. Again, many tools online make this easier and cheaper than ever before even for individuals – many sites (including lots in San Francisco) make it easy to create your own promotional materials, while anyone can cheaply find a designer on a webmaster forum like Digital Point or even on Fiverr. Yes $5 to get a flyer designed…
And from that small initial expense, you can then either have the flyers/letters delivered by direct mail, or you can slip them through local letterboxes/hand them out in the street yourself. It’s a highly inexpensive way to build leads that will help you to stand out from the crowd and leave a lasting impression.